Usually it’s not the lack of the Team’s ability to be great, it’s the lack of the leadership to be a catalyst for greatness. I know we all expect certain things from the people we employee to do the job, fulfill the responsibilities, and be accountable for the work they were hired to do. But… That’s really just not good enough. You didn’t hire robots, they are people with personalities, their own ambitions, and a desire to work for the same reasons you have…family, career, passion, necessity, the things money can buy and provide.
I would say that I probably talk with more individual team members and dentists than any one-single person on the planet. I keep track if you want to challenge me on it, feel free. I’ll win. And in all of my interviews and conversations I can tell you the vast majority of Team Members really really want to do well. They want to serve their Dentist and the Patients to the best of their ability.
The number one reason they sometimes fall short of each others’ expectations is because of lack of understanding of what these expectations are. Of course we all need empowered and motivated, you need the same thing. You have me to give you a nudge, a swift kick in the rear end, or you own goals and objectives. But what do they have?
If you want to light a fire under your Team…try this.
1. Give them the benefit of the doubt
2. Tell them very clearly what you expect for each result they are accountable for, for each responsibility you expect performance with
3. Then give them permission to try their own ideas, to experiment, to make mistakes, let them know you trust them to excel
4. Set clear communication and check-up points
5. Explain what a victory is, how they will be judged and rewarded
You will be amazed, I promise you, if you don’t expect people to read your mind and you actually communicate what you want and then you give them room to work, tools to use, and permission to fail.
Do you make mistakes from time to time? And do you learn from those mistakes? Do they make you stronger, better, faster, more confident?
Well, the same will go from them. If they have fear of trying, you are only suppressing the ability and the investment you’ve made, micro managing results is one thing, smother the talent that’s suppose to give them to you another.
The challenge with Dentists is by the sheer nature of the profession you usually fall into one of two categories…micro-management or no management at all. Submissive leadership or no leadership at all.
Try a happy medium, a balance by empowering, lead by letting go and letting others…and you’ll see, the Team is always stronger than the individual, just like in sports as the saying goes, there is no “I” in Team.
